Sometimes the simplest of truths are the most difficult for us to get to grips with. For some reason we as humans often struggle to realise that we are truly and unconditionally loved by God. The image below highlights lyrics from an old children’s chorus which articulates a child-like faith that we are loved by loved by Jesus. Children find mysteries much easier to believe than we adults do.

There are two aspects of this chorus that we perhaps struggle with:

Jesus loves me

Everything in us feels unworthy of Jesus’ love for us. We wonder “why would he love me?” As humans we long for the security and acceptance that unconditional love offers us, yet we shy away from it when it is freely given. In the world almost everything comes with strings attached, so when we are give a free gift of God’s loving grace we are looking for the strings.

The truth of the Gospel is that there are no strings attached. Jesus really does love us – even if we struggle to believe it.

The Bible tells me so

We also struggle to believe that the Bible really does tell us the truth about the world, about ourselves, and about God who loves us. God knows that we will struggle with understanding and accepting his love so he chronicled the story of his love through the Bible.

He gave us his great book full of his great deeds and truths in order that we might read, reflect, and receive his love. As we read regularly God by his Holy Spirit renews our minds and cleanses our hearts as he reveals himself through the pages – this in itself is a great mystery that is hard for us to fathom.

It is by grace you have been saved through faith (Eph 2:5)

We receive everything God has for us simply by having childlike (not childish though!) faith in Jesus.

He does love us.

He does accept us as we are.

He does give us his words in the bible to ensure we don’t stay just as we are – his word and Spirit transform us from the inside out. Although these are hard truths for us to receive, they are there for the receiving. Jesus loves you – the bible confirms this. All you have to do is simply trust him. set your heart on following him. Connect with others who follow him. Grow in your understanding and experience of his love for you.

May we grow closer to to the Holy Father, as we see Jesus and receive his love for us as revealed by his Holy Spirit.